What kind of legacy will Defense Secretary Robert Gates leave behind? Foreign Policy asked five experts for their answer to that. In an exclusive interview, the Secretary told the magazine he hopes to leave office next year, possibly as early as January. Among the five experts, James Jay Carafano with the Heritage Foundation says Gates never lost sight of the imperative that nations should use force only when it is in their vital national interests -- and that a nation's leaders should not disregard national interests just because the road to victory becomes more difficult than expected. He adds, Gates's most recent pronouncements that the Pentagon needs to reform its antiquated logistics practices and restructure pay and benefits are on target.

And, as the Defense Department explores ways to cut spending from the Pentagon budget, the Missile Defense Agency will focus more heavily on competition for multibillion-dollar contracts. Learn more at the Dorobek Must Reads page.